"Thus it is said that one who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Face of Defense: Deployed Airman Lives by Core Values

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Stephen Hudson

169th Fighter Wing

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, June 28,
2012 – Just two months into her first deployment, Air Force Airman 1st Class
Rhiannon O’Leary is staying busy. While working for the 451st Expeditionary
Maintenance Squadron in line delivery for munitions, O’Leary is living the Air
Force’s core values of integrity, excellence and service before self at work
and off duty.

While her day-to-day mission is
transporting munitions from the ammunition supply point to the flightline for
loading, O’Leary has taken the opportunity to get involved in other activities.

On one of her first weekends, she
visited the bazaar school here and spent the afternoon playing with the boys at
the school.

“I love kids,” the mother of three said.
“It was an experience, and puts things into perspective, because a soccer ball
and a Frisbee to play with bring them so much joy.”

She added that she plans on visiting
again during her four-month deployment. “I wish they lived in a better place,”
O’Leary said. “But kids are kids anywhere you go.”

Volunteering at the bazaar is just one
way O’Leary applies the Air Force core values. She also is working on becoming
a victims’ advocate with the sexual assault response coordinator’s office, and
recently took litter-carrying training at the aeromedical staging facility so
she can help to carry wounded warriors to transport aircraft that take them to
other medical facilities.

“Airman O’Leary has showed great
leadership and a sense of urgency to get the job done,” said Air Force Master
Sgt. Kenneth Prince, O’Leary’s supervisor here. “In this high-pressure job,
it’s important to keep your military bearing. She exemplifies this every day.”

When O’Leary returns from her deployment,
she said, she will return to school at Florence-Darlington Technical College in
Florence, S.C., where she is studying criminal justice.

O’Leary is a member of the South
Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing from McEntire Joint National Guard
Base, S.C. In April, the 169th Fighter Wing deployed more than a dozen F-16s
and 400 personnel -- including pilots, maintenance specialists and support
staff to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The wing deployed
through August.